BIOGRAPHY

Christopher Holmes

Christopher Holmes returned to his home, Provo, after obtaining degrees in opera at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Temple University, teaching voice at Texas State University, and performing throughout the United States. With over 35 operatic roles to his credit, Christopher has been featured by companies such as Austin Lyric Opera, Central City Opera, Eugene Opera, Opera Idaho, Phoenix Opera, Juneau Lyric Opera, and San Antonio Opera.

A "powerful, melodious baritone" with "soul and passion" is a small sample of enthusiastic reviews being received by Holmes. As a full-lyric baritone, Holmes is beginning to make his mark in the Verdi repertoire. As IAGO with Winter Opera St. Louis critics commented, Holmes sings Iago “with clarity and power, and with a skilled actor's ability to convey mood and character" and with “control and subtlety.” As RIGOLETTO at St. Petersburg Opera a critic indicates that Holmes “had me crying at points-- an incredible beautiful lyric baritone with a very clear understanding of who this humiliated and terribly wronged man is.” His GERMONT was praised as “with crystal clear enunciation, truly polished, controlled, professional and superb.” But his versatility continues to make him adept at the bass-baritone roles of Mozart and Rossini such as DON ALFONSO in Così fan tutte and BARTOLO in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

In 2018/19 he was seen as BARONE DOUPHOL in Utah Opera’s La traviata, CONTE ALMAVIVA in Utah Festival Opera’s Figaro, BELCORE in Opera Company of Middlebury’s production and subsequent tour of L'elisir d’amore, BARTOLO in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Western Plains Opera, ESCAMILLO in Carmen with the Pine Mountain Music Festival, and the PIRATE KING in The Pirates of Penzance at Rimrock Opera/ NOVA. Previously he was seen with Cleveland Opera Theater as FIGARO in Le nozze di Figaro and made a return to Gulfshore Opera in their production of Speed Dating (M. Ching) and in their tour of "Grand Opera Nights" singing the roles of FIGARO (Il barbiere di Siviglia), MARCELLO (La Boheme), GERMONT (La Traviata), and the title role of RIGOLETTO.

Mr. Holmes has remained engaged in his Utah community by serving as the Utah Lyric Opera General Director from 2009-2015. His local performance engagements have included appearances with Ballet West, Salt Lake Choral Artists, The Tabernacle Choir, Temple Square Chorale and Orchestra at Temple Square, and many more with such works as Bach’s St. John Passion, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Brahms' A German Requiem, Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, the Faure Requiem, Mozart's Mass in C Minor and Requiem, Schubert’s Mass in G Major, Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem, and Verdi's Messa di Requiem.

Christopher made his Italian debut in the role of Don Giovanni as a guest artist of Opera Orvieto. He developed a love for the Italian language and people while residing in central Italy for two years. He is an adjunct instructor of voice at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University, and a parent of three children with his wife Erin Kramer Holmes, Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. Major influences on his teaching philosophy come from renowned author and pedagogue Richard Miller with whom he studied at Oberlin, and opera coach/conductor Nicolas Giusti with whom he works and collaborates on a regular basis.

Isaac Hurtado has drawn critical acclaim for performances of over 30 leading tenor roles across the United States. Since making his leading role debut in 2004 with Festival Opera (CA) in the title role of Roméo et Juliette, his portrayals of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Don José in Carmen, Alfredo in La Traviata, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Il Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto among others, have been noted for “money notes worth every penny” and “wonderful acting.” He has appeared with companies including Utah Opera, Opera North, Piedmont Opera (NC), Pine Mountain Music Festival (MI),Opera San Jose (CA), Phoenix Opera (AZ), The Cleveland Opera (OH), Utah Festival Opera, Central City Opera (CO), the Bay Area’s Midsummer Mozart Festival (CA), Utah Lyric Opera, and Sun Valley Opera (ID). Most recently Mr. Hurtado appeared as Don José in Utah Opera’s La Tragedie de Carmen, and was seen in Pesaro and Iesi, Italy performing recitals honoring the 150th anniversary of Gioachino Rossini’s passing. He will reprise the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème this January at the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts.

In concert, Mr. Hurtado has performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Liszt’s A Faust Symphony with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s Magnificat and G Major Mass with Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, Messiah with the for Southwest Symphony Orchestra, and gala concerts with Utah Symphony and Opera, Festival Opera at Walnut Creek, Temple Square Orchestra and Chorale of Salt Lake City, Santa Rosa Symphony and Martinez Opera.

Mr. Hurtado holds the Assistant Professor of Voice/Director of Opera position at Utah Valley University. He also serves on the voice faculty of the Mediterranean Opera Studio, and is the Executive director of the UVAA Summer Opera Festival.